Formula E all-electric racing championship starts this weekend

It is finally here! The long-awaited Formula E electric car racing championship gets underway this weekend, kicking off in Beijing.

The new FIA-approved racing championship will race in ten locations over its first season, in each location racing on temporary street tracks, based in the heart of the city. FIA Formula E Fifth Test 19th August 2014. Donington Park Race Circuit Derby, England Tuesday 19 August 2014.

Key to the new championship are the single-seat, fully electric Spark-Renault SRT_01E race cars which each of the ten teams will use. These cars achieve performance nearing that of their more famous Formula 1 sisters, with a top speed of around 150mph top speed (compared to around 240mph for an F1 car) and a 0-62mph time of less than 3 seconds (compared to 2.5 seconds for a F1 car).

Teams taking part include Venturi, backed by Hollywood film star and well-known environmentalist, Leonardo DiCaprio and Virgin Racing, backed by venture capital conglomerate, Virgin. Broadcast on BT Sport and ITV4, each leg of the racing series will run over the course of a weekend to maximise public exposure, with the finale set to take place at Battersea Park in London on June 27, 2015.

Other host cities will include Putrajaya in Malaysia, Los Angeles, Monte Carlo in Monaco, Buenos Aires and Berlin, Germany. The first round kicks off this Saturday (September 13, 2014), and is broadcast live from 8am (UK time) on ITV4, with the day’s highlights shown from 6pm.